Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, explains why he decided to publish thousands of secret US military files on the war in Afghanistan.

But who is Julian Assange?

Wikileaks Director & Founder.

Co-invented "Rubberhose deniable encryption" in 1997 intended to be "as a tool for human rights workers who needed to protect sensitive data in the field".

Attended 37 schools and 6 universities in Australia during his early life.

Researcher of the book Underground: Tales of Hacking, Madness and Obsession on the Electronic Frontier.

Lived in Melbourne as a programmer and a developer of freeware.

Described himself as "president of an NGO and Australia's most infamous former computer hacker" in 2006.

Unpaid volunteer as of January 2010; being able to self-finance his work because of money he made earlier with internet-related activities.

Winner of the 2009 Amnesty International Media Award (New Media), awarded for exposing extra-judicial assassinations; the 2008 Economist Index on censorship Award; and various other media awards.

Source: youtube.com